As Subhalakshmi Borooah Khan begins a new chapter with her vocal debut, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash share the thought behind the album: “We thought the world should discover a hidden artiste”Bharatanatyam exponent Subhalakshmi Borooah Khan was originally named Rajalakshmi. But after watching Meera (1945), starring the legendary MS Subbulakshmi, her parents were so impressed that they changed their daughter’s name to Subhalakshmi. Decades later, at 81, as she prepared herself to share her voice with the world through her vocal debut, she found herself “nervous about living up to the name she carried”.
Subhalakshmi said, “We hope our music contributes to bringing some peace to the world”
What began as a collection of shlokas for her children and grandchildren became Chants of Unity, a nine-track album featuring Krishna Das, Jai Uttal and Nina Rao, among others, with a message of peace and harmony. In a conversation with us, sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Subhalakshmi and their sons, sarod maestros Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, speak about the album, the process of creating it and their belief that humanity must come before differences.
In a conversation with us, sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Subhalakshmi and their sons, sarod maestros Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, speak about the album, the process of creating it and their belief that humanity must come before differences.
‘Ghar mein toh gungunate hain, lekin album toh socha hi nahin tha’For Subhalakshmi, the shlokas were something she had been singing at home for years. Her connection with Sanskrit prayers went back to her time at Kalakshetra, Chennai, where she spent 15 years learning Bharatanatyam under Rukmini Devi Arundale. “Ghar mein toh gungunate hi hain, kuch na kuch gaate hain. Lekin album toh socha hi nahin tha. Ayaan recorded it for the sake of posterity, and I thought bachche suneinge, Ayaan ke bachche bhi suneinge,” she said, adding, “When Ayaan heard the recording, he felt it could become an album. Amaan also encouraged me.”
Subhalakshmi Barooah Khan and Amjad Ali Khan
What began with a Navagraha shloka gradually grew into a larger musical project, with both Amaan and Ayaan recording individual pieces with her, before bringing the family, including Amjad Ali Khan, together for one track.
Subhalakshmi is the anchor, she is the spirit, she is our life… we want her to live for a hundred years in this world
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
‘Chants are a new space for the sarod. It is a refreshing curation’For Amaan and Ayaan, the project was an opportunity to introduce audiences to a side of their mother that had largely remained within the family. Amaan said, “We thought we should make the world discover a hidden artiste.”
Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash
The brothers also approached the music with the intention of taking the sarod into a different soundscape. Rather than making Subhalakshmi adapt to a conventional vocal arrangement, they worked around her natural voice and the way she sang the shlokas. Ayaan said, “Our vision has always been to take sarod to spaces it hasn’t been to. Chants are a new space for sarod. It is a refreshing curation.”
Ayaan Ali Bangash
For Amjad Ali Khan, the album was a way of sharing Subhalakshmi’s contribution with a wider audience. While her work had often been behind the scenes, he spoke of how central she remained to the family and its musical journey. “It’s not a profession for us; it’s a passion in our family. Her contribution is the most important, and we all depend on her,” he said.Subhalakshmi, meanwhile, came away from the experience thinking about the things she could still learn. “After listening to the final album, I thought ‘I could have done this, I could have done that’. But I believe nothing is too late in life. I want to keep learning, whether it is running the house or cooking. Age is just a number.”
Subhalakshmi made her vocal debut at the age of 81 with the album Chants for Unity in September 2026. Chants are a new space for sarod, the family says
Ayaan added, “It’s never too late. Most people, after a certain age, are reduced into statues. Today, even at a later stage in life, people are starting their journeys because many of their responsibilities have eased, allowing them to focus on themselves.”
Our father was busy travelling, but our mother is the one who shaped us. It’s like your father provides the sand, and the mother is the sculptor who makes you. She continues to play a very important role in our lives
Amaan Ali Bangash
‘We hope our music contributes to bringing some peace to the world’For the family, the significance of the album went beyond Subhalakshmi’s debut. They wanted the shlokas to convey a message of peace, kindness and compassion, irrespective of religious identity. Amjad Ali Khan explained, “The basis of existence is humanity. Kindness, compassion are key to exist in the world. Religion comes later. Har insaan iss duniya mein ek hi tareeke se aata hai, aur ek hi tareeke se jaata hai. Iss duniya mein aane ke baad, uska religion declare kiya jata hai. Bhagwan sabko ek jaisa bana ke bhejta hai aur duniya mein phir uske alag-alag reeti-rivaj ban jaate hain.” He added, “Humein bahut dukh hota hai jab hum sunte hain ki America, Iran, Russia-Ukraine mein jo kuch bhi ho raha hai. I am surprised how some people become communal and radical… Main chahta hoon ki Bharat ka jo guldasta hai woh kabhi toote nahi, bikhre nahi. Agar koi (insaan) doosre ki madad nahi kar sakta, toh ek doosre ko barbaad karne ki koshish bhi naa karein.”
Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash. “Why should 60 be a retirement age? You can start your life any day,” insists Ayaan
Poori duniya mein hazaron religions hain, har mazhab ki izzat karna, sabse important message hai. Har insaan iss duniya mein ek hi tareeke se aata hai, aur ek hi tareeke se jaata hai. Iss duniya mein aane ke baad, uska religion declare kiya jata hai. Har parent ko apne bachchon ko rehemdil banane ki zarurat hai
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
For the family, music offered a way to communicate that belief without needing to draw boundaries. Subhalakshmi wished, “May this very small drop in the ocean… contribute in bringing peace to the world.” She reflected on what the experience meant to her as an artiste and why she believed art need not be confined to the stage or a public career. “For me, it was a hobby. But art can be practised in many ways. You don’t have to go on stage to remain an artiste. Art never withers away. An artiste is always an artiste. Art will remain within you and with you, and keep refining your life.”
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